A SOUTHSIDER who was forced to emigrate to Australia two years ago has become an unlikely success story in his adopted country.
Aidan Cleary (29) was a committed hurling player all his life, playing for UCD while studying there from 2001-2005 before making the move to Kilmacud Crokes where he played from 2009 – 2010.
Off the field Aidan excelled as an engineer. However, like so many others during the economic downturn, the recession caught up with him and not only did he have to say goodbye to a job that he loved, but also to his Sandyford home, family and friends.
Aidan left Ireland on a one-way ticket with his recently married wife to commence a new life on the other side of the world.
However, the luck of the Irish was with him when the company he eventually got a job with participated in the local Corporate Games in Melbourne’s Docklands.
Aidan swapped his hurl for a paddle, joined the Dragon Boat Team and took to this relatively unknown sport like a duck to water.
He was hooked and soon he joined the Melbourne Flames Dragon Boat Club.
Before long this newbie was not only paddling on the Melbourne Flames Premier Team but excelled to be selected for the Victorian State Team.
But he didn’t want to stop there. A year after his first taste of the sport, and he is now preparing for the Australian National Team Trials.
If successful, a place on the Auroras squad will be his reward with the opportunity to compete in the World Championships, which are to be held in Szeged, Hungary at the end of July this year.
A place on the Auroras Premier Squad requires a long three-day camp in Canberra where participants are subjected to grueling fitness tests and water based speed tests as they battle against soaring temperatures of 38 degrees.
Not the best conditions for an Irishman and the first day left Aidan drained despite personal bests in the bench press and sit-ups fitness tests.
However, his spirits were lifted that evening as the coaches held a video analyses session, and he was singled out and praised for his technique.
After camp, he returned to Melbourne with an anxious wait before he learned that he’d won a coveted place on the Australian National Dragon Boat Team.
In April, Aidan attended the National Dragon Boat Championships in Penrith, Sydney, with his club team, Melbourne Flames, and his State Team, Victoria. Contrary to what most people expected, his teams won a medal in every event entered and were Australian Champions.
Aidan and a selection of the Auroras recently returned from Singapore where they competed in the Dragon Boat Singapore (DBS) Marina Bay Regatta in the hopes of raising funds for their impending trip to Hungary.
Although they were unsuccessful in winning the cash prizes, they found the experience invaluable. They learnt just how high the bar is when competing at an international level.
In Melbourne, fundraising will also commence to ensure that Aidan’s hard work so far will not be in vain, as each competitor has to pay for this privilege.
Out of pocket expenses include uniform, flights, accommodation, food, training camps, and entry fees, which are all incurred by individual paddlers.
At this stage Aidan doesn’t even own a paddle, which is obviously high on the priority list.
However, a Facebook page has been set up to keep friends, family, and followers all over the world up-to-date on Aidan’s training and fundraising progress.
Check out and like the Irish Dragon In Oz Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IrishDragonInOz